“Damn it . . . Don’t you dare ask God to help me.”To her housekeeper, who had begun to pray aloud.
~~ Joan Crawford, actress, d. May 10, 1977

How sad. How final.

By contrast, I was instantly in mind of this holy martyr of Russia:

Hieromonk Nektary (Ivanov), an instructor in the Voronezh Seminary who had graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy, was killed in 1918 by means of various tortures of the cruelest sort: he was dragged by the feet, his arms and legs broken, wooden nails were driven into him, he was “given communion” with molten pewter. The martyr prayed: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, 0 Master, according to Thy Word; for my eyes have seen the glory of Thy salvationwhich Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel” Luke 2: 29-32

Let these be my last words. God grant that I may be mindful to remember them when the time comes.

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